Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks reads from Hilter's 'Mein Kampf' while bashing Democrats,media

[GMDino]

Could have gone in the Mueller thread or the 202 candidates thread.

Either way the guy is a tool.


Bolded emphasis mine.  

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/26/alabama-mo-brooks-quotes-hitler-house-floor-bash-democrats/3282595002/

Quote:A Republican member of Congress quoted Adolf Hitler on the House floor in an attempt to blast Democrats over the results of special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and possible conspiracy with the Trump presidential campaign. 



Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks read from Hitler's "Mein Kampf" in an attempt to bash Democrats and the media, alleging they had pushed a "big lie" to smear Trump during the investigation. 


"A big lie is a political propaganda technique made famous by Germany's national socialist German Worker's Party," Brooks said Monday. "For more than two years, socialist Democrats and their fake news media allies, CNN, MSNBC, The New York Times, Washington Post and countless others, have perpetrated the biggest political lie, con, scam and fraud in American history."


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Brooks railed against Democrats, citing from a four-page letter Attorney General William Barr sent to members of Congress on Sunday. The letter summarized the conclusions of Mueller's lengthy investigation and explained that Mueller did not find conspiracy between Russia and the 

Trump campaign. Mueller could not determine whether President Donald Trump attempted to obstruct justice by impeding the investigation, according to the letter.


After reviewing the evidence, Barr determined no criminal charges would be filed against the president. 

Brooks railed against Democrats for pushing the Russian conspiracy for years and the media for helping give them a voice. 


He called for Democrats and the media to apologize for the "fraud and scam committed" but said he recognized that some would be more likely to "double down and propagate even more big lies because doubling down is essential to big lie theory." 


"In that vein, I quote from another socialist who mastered big lie propaganda to a maximum and deadly effect," Brooks said before starting to read Hitler's words on the House floor. 

He started, "In the big lie, there is always a certain force of credibility because the broad masses of a nation are always more easily corrupted in the deeper strata of their emotional nature than consciously or voluntarily; and thus, in the primitive simplicity of their minds, they more readily fall victims to the big lie than the small lie."


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"Who is this big lie master? That quote was in 1925 by a member of Germany's National Socialist German Workers Party," he said. "That's right. Germany's Socialist Party, more commonly known as the Nazis. The author was socialist Adolf Hitler in his book, 'Mein Kampf.'"


Brooks' emphasis on socialism in Germany appeared to be an attempt to link socialism with the Democratic Party — even though Nazis were not, in fact, socialists. They, along with Hitler, were fascists, essentially the opposite of socialists. Hitler was the leader of the Nazi Party that initiated World War II and was central in the death of millions during the Holocaust.


While on the House floor, Brooks also called on Americans to reject "America's socialists and their fake news media allies" or "succumb to the danger that lurks and horrific damage that results."


Brooks' office did not immediately respond to USA TODAY's request for comment. 

Another example of why Trump and the GOP love the "poorly educated".

[CJD]

I know this isn't the explicit topic at hand, but why is the right so obsessed with linking Socialism to Nazis?

[Yojimbo]

(03-27-2019, 09:43 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: I know this isn't the explicit topic at hand, but why is the right so obsessed with linking Socialism to Nazis?

Projection.

[CJD]

(03-27-2019, 09:55 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: Projection.

But like...socialism has nothing to do with Modern American politics.

I don't know what they gain by linking one dead political party to a political system that doesn't exist in our country.

[*Nately120*]

(03-27-2019, 09:43 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: I know this isn't the explicit topic at hand, but why is the right so obsessed with linking Socialism to Nazis?

Because phase 1 of the plan, convincing people that non-republicans are socialists, is complete?  

[CJD]

(03-27-2019, 11:27 AM)Nately120 Wrote: Because phase 1 of the plan, convincing people that non-republicans are socialists, is complete?  

Do they think the country will run better when their followers believe over half the country are the equivalents of Russians in the 50s and 60s?

[jj22]

Mein Kampf.

Required reading for Trump supporters.

[*Nately120*]

(03-27-2019, 11:46 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: Do they think the country will run better when their followers believe over half the country are the equivalents of Russians in the 50s and 60s?

I'm not sure if that is their goal, but it seems like people like to be told that they are members of the heroic political faction and the other side is downright evil.  It's one of the easiest forms of self promotion.  All I have to do is call myself a member of a group and vote every 4 years and I get to be a hero who is fighting to save this country from the hellspawn on the other side.

[Benton]

(03-27-2019, 09:43 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: I know this isn't the explicit topic at hand, but why is the right so obsessed with linking Socialism to Nazis?

I'm more concerned on why the right is less obsessed with get Nazis out of its party. 

'Join the gop! If they were alive today, both Hitler and Jesus would be members!'

[Yojimbo]

(03-27-2019, 09:57 AM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: But like...socialism has nothing to do with Modern American politics.

I don't know what they gain by linking one dead political party to a political system that doesn't exist in our country.

I was trying to make the point that they want to accuse people of being socialist and socialism is bad, when in reality they are fascists and fascism is bad.

[Stonyhands]

(03-27-2019, 09:55 AM)Yojimbo Wrote: Projection.

Yes...it couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the left repeatedly calling Trump Hitler.

Here’s an interesting read.

https://mises.org/library/why-nazism-was-socialism-and-why-socialism-totalitarian

[CJD]

(03-27-2019, 02:59 PM)Stonyhands Wrote: Yes...it couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the left repeatedly calling Trump Hitler.

Here’s an interesting read.

https://mises.org/library/why-nazism-was-socialism-and-why-socialism-totalitarian

I'm not an economics major by any means, but this sentence immediately throws me off:

Quote:And (2) to show why socialism, understood as an economic system based on government ownership of the means of production, positively requires a totalitarian dictatorship.

I can't find many corroborating definitions of socialism that considers it the economic system where the government owns the means of production.

Most I find are defined as such:

Quote:Socialism is an economic system where everyone in society equally owns the factors of production. The ownership is acquired through a democratically elected government. It could also be a cooperative or a public corporation where everyone owns shares. 

Or, more simply, 

Quote:Socialism is a range of economic and social systems characterised by social ownership of the means of production and workers' self-management,[10] as well as the political theories and movements associated with them.

If you remove the definition of Socialism as a government run means of production, that entire article falls apart.

Now, maybe at its most extreme, a socially owned means of production can become a puppet state for a government run means of production, but I don't know if that's the intended purpose of Socialism...

Of course, I may be misunderstanding something and I don't have a full concept of Socialism.

All that said, I still don't see how it's related to American Politics.

[Dill]

(03-27-2019, 02:59 PM)Stonyhands Wrote: Yes...it couldn’t possibly have anything to do with the left repeatedly calling Trump Hitler.

Here’s an interesting read.

https://mises.org/library/why-nazism-was-socialism-and-why-socialism-totalitarian

Ha ha, I've been following this stuff for years. 

The von Mises Institute has a row of short articles on "socialism" defined largely as state intervention in the free market, which they argue inevitably leads to totalitarianism.  Ludwig von Mises, for example, studied wage and price controls in the 3rd Reich, and by a kind of reverse engineering argues that socialism follows because then the state "really" controls private property even though it is left in private hands. And since the controls don't work and require more controls, this "mission creep" leads to totalitarianism.

So in these guys' terms, a doctrine which defined itself against liberalism and socialism/marxism, especially regarding conceptions of individual equality, can be cast as "socialist" because of the power it gives the state.  Nevermind that Nazis, in contrast to virtually every other state during the Great Depression, actually set about privatizing government owned properties like railroads.

The people running/supporting the institute are what I would call free-market fundamentalists, and pretty much assign to any politics which intervene in markets the label "socialist."  

This is not going to be convincing to people who have actually read socialists and fascists and can place them in a more neutral analytical framework.  

PS actually I have respect for von Mises as an economist and intellectual, and I have some of his earlier writings in PDF form.   But especially in his later writings he seems like he is always beating one drum.  Not good on history of ideas, though. Will settle for caricatures as a basis for research. Sort of but not really surprised at how the institute named after him aligns with elements of the alt-right: https://vdare.com/articles/hans-herman-hoppe-libertarianism-the-alt-right-and-antifa-a-libertarian-strategy-for-social-change

[Dill]

(03-27-2019, 03:13 PM)Crazyjdawg Wrote: I can't find many corroborating definitions of socialism that considers it the economic system where the government owns the means of production.

Well there are, sort of, but that's tricky.

If the constitution of the government in question states that it is socialist and defines a goal of wealth control/redistribution explicitly to offset the problems/contradictions inherent in private ownership of the nation's means of economic production, and it does this on behalf of a sovereign citizenry defined as naturally equal in rights, then I would say yes, that is socialism for sure--especially if the means of production are nationalized.  The tricky part is whether the government then really represents the public. Do they have real elections?

Fascism doesn't really meet these criteria, as it embraces natural inequality--and however much the von Mises folks want to claim that the state somehow "in effect" controls privately owned means of productions, in fascist Italy and Germany, the Fiats and Krupps were still making crazy PRIVATE profits and in immediate managerial control of their concerns operating with the same incentives as "free market" societies. Further, the Nazis privatized many state concerns which had been nationalized under the Kaiser and during Weimar.  Sure, they at times attempted to control investment and production allocation through measures like forced cartelization, but this never worked efficiently precisely because privately owned firms were still privately owned and followed market incentives. Then there is the small matter of dictatorship, and how the state is thought to represent a sovereign nation, but not a sovereign people.

Defining National Socialism as "socialism," while not likely to survive close logical/historical analysis, is certainly politically useful in a country where few people know little about either--except through the examples of the Third Reich and the Soviet Union.  And one party is proposing expansion of government services--i.e., "socializing" their costs--which will increase the tax burden on the top ten percent.
Medicare=socialism=fascism.  Now Google fascism and see what that's about!!!!

This what you're voting for, Dawg!?!  Shame!!

 

[*bfine32*]

(03-27-2019, 11:47 AM)jj22 Wrote: Mein Kampf.

Required reading for Trump supporters.

I know I have a signed copy.

[*michaelsean*]

(03-27-2019, 10:04 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I know I have a signed copy.

Lucky. I sent mine off several years ago to be signed and still haven’t received it back. Even sent a return envelope with it.

[*bfine32*]

(03-27-2019, 10:19 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Lucky. I sent mine off several years ago to be signed and still haven’t received it back. Even sent a return envelope with it.

Mine was just more of right place, right time.

They had a booth set up at one of our weekly cross burnings. 

[Benton]

(03-27-2019, 10:04 PM)bfine32 Wrote: I know I have a signed copy.

(03-27-2019, 10:19 PM)michaelsean Wrote: Lucky. I sent mine off several years ago to be signed and still haven’t received it back. Even sent a return envelope with it.

(03-27-2019, 11:46 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Mine was just more of right place, right time.

They had a booth set up at one of our weekly cross burnings. 

In 2018 more than 50 people in the US died in violence by white nationalists. That's spreading globally, as you've got guys like the Christchurch shooter noting Donald Trump as part of his white identity. Joviality about race and religion based attacks doesn't do a lot to help the problem. Neither does trying to equate political opponents with Nazis or Communists or socialists or any other giant scary ideology, especially not when we have literal Nazis in the mix.

[*bfine32*]

(03-28-2019, 12:15 AM)Benton Wrote: In 2018 more than 50 people in the US died in violence by white nationalists. That's spreading globally, as you've got guys like the Christchurch shooter noting Donald Trump as part of his white identity. Joviality about race and religion based attacks doesn't do a lot to help the problem. Neither does trying to equate political opponents with Nazis or Communists or socialists or any other giant scary ideology, especially not when we have literal Nazis in the mix.

Point taken and I apologize to the board for my joviality and to sean for bringing him in on it.

In the future I will try to contain my posts only to those that will do a lot to help the problem 

[BmorePat87]

socialism noun so·​cial·​ism | \ ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm

A political system characterized by leftist liberals spending money on anything

capitalism noun cap·​i·​tal·​ism | \ ˈka-pə-tə-ˌliz-əm

An economic system characterized by patriotic corporations and conservative lawmakers at ALEC mass producing laws for personal gain